


You’re A Sky Full Of Stars

by StarSpangledBucky



Series: Winteriron [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bad Days, Because Tony's A Jerk For A Moment, Bruce Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes's Metal Arm, Bucky Has A Collection, Bucky is okay, Chemistry, Chocolate, Coney Island, Crying, Date Arrangement, Engineer Tony, Español | Spanish, Feelings, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Haunted Houses, Hospitals, Humor, I tried anyway, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mild Language, Protective Steve, Roses, Stargazing, Stuffed Toys, Surprise Kiss, Tony Runs Into Bucky With Bruce's Car, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Turns Out Bucky's Arm Is A Stark Industries Prototype, Winteriron Bang, Winteriron Bang 2015, all that jazz, dinner date, movie date, past steve/tony - Freeform, waiter bucky, Русский | Russian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-20
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-16 06:17:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4614393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarSpangledBucky/pseuds/StarSpangledBucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever have those days where everything is just...bad? Tony's having one of those days. Yet he doesn't exactly expect to accidentally hit someone with his car. Fortunately for Tony, his new charmingly handsome acquaintance, Bucky, is willing to forgive him if he takes him out on a date. Tony can't say no to that offer, because there's just something special about Bucky. Their night ends better than either of them expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You’re A Sky Full Of Stars

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my fic I did for the Winteriron Bang that went down on Tumblr. I had an absolute joy writing it, I never thought I'd like this ship as much as I do. Title inspired by You're A Sky Full Of Stars by Coldplay!
> 
> I made it mature because of heavy language and it being slightly NSFW-ish near the end which implies future sexual content.
> 
> And credit to the lovely artist who made a video for the fic which can be found here...http://brokensoldierandthegenius.tumblr.com/post/127131172148/winterironbang-skyfullofstars

**Monday**

**Manhattan, NY**

Of all the days where bad things seemed to be around every  _damn_  corner.  _Why did it have to be that day?_  Tony was having an extremely terrible morning on the day of a very important meeting. His suit was still drying because he'd forgotten to do it the previous night, he couldn't find all the equipment he needed for his presentation and on top of it all, he was having a bad hair day. There he was at 10am, staring at himself in the mirror while he combed his hair, trying to get it to stay neat. Yet it seemed that whenever he got one piece of hair to stay down, another stray hair would pop up. Tony let out an irritated sigh and dug the palm of his hands into his closed eyes, fingers tugging on his hair.

"Of all the fucking days!" he cursed, throwing the comb into the sink.

Tony stomped out of the bathroom in a fit of rage, heading straight for the kitchen. Coffee sounded great, maybe he'd calm down, or maybe the coffee machine would attack him. He was feeling oddly unlucky, wishing he had the  _'luck of the Irish'_  as they'd say these days. From the lounge he could spy his roommate and friend, Bruce Banner, sprawled out on the couch watching a science show.

"Morning Tony," he spoke sleepily.

 _This guy never sleeps_  the brunette thought.

"Morning," Tony huffed.

"Are you alright?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, fine," Tony muttered, opening the fridge door, only to have a tub of butter fall right on his foot.

Inside Tony was cursing like a sailor, but outside he was leaning his head on the freezer door, letting out a soft gasp of pain. Bruce lent up on his elbows and looked over at Tony, seeing his friend shake his head. He could hear the faint words of  _'fuck'_ , _'fucking hell'_  and  _'motherfucking butter'_  laced in Tony's hushed whispers.

"Tony," he murmured.

"I'm fine," he squeaked out, holding his hand up. "I'm fine," he repeated, taking in a deep breath.

"You sure?" Bruce questioned.

"Just having an off day," Tony grunted, closing the door of the fridge as he assessed his foot. "Why did it have to be today," he sighed.

Tony wandered over to the coffee machine and grabbed the plastic tub at the back that held the water. He ran his hand down his face, leaning against the sink and turning the tap on. Unaware of the dirty dishes still in the sink, Tony was caught off guard by the splash of water as it ricocheted off the bowl and sprayed right over Tony's face and chest, causing him to shriek in surprise.

"For fucks sake!" he yelled, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Tony, remember Natasha lives next door with her husband Clint and they have two young children. You need to watch how loud you curse," Bruce warned, even though Tony was aware he babysat the kids sometimes.

"You need to watch how loud you curse," Tony mimicked, pulling a face and filling the tub up without any trouble this time.

"I heard that," Bruce rebuked.

"You were meant to," the brunette retorted.

 _Just take it easy Tony_  he thought, flicking the switch on the machine.

"So far so good," he muttered.

While he waited for the water to boil, Tony grabbed a clean dish towel and wiped his face, down to his chest, all the while grumbling under his breath. He knew after a coffee he'd most likely be fine, but something definitely did not feel right that morning and Tony wouldn't be surprised if it lasted all  _damn_  day.  _This can't be happening, this can't be happening_  he chanted to himself. The clients he was meeting with for his business  _Stark Industries_  were highly important, and he couldn't screw it up otherwise he'd be losing millions of dollars worth of work. People would always ask him why he lived in an apartment and not in a high rise penthouse or a huge luxurious house. Tony didn't always know how to properly respond to that. But usually went with the option of  _'having a luxury penthouse or mansion doesn't always bring you happiness'_ , which seemed to work in his favour.

"What time is your meeting?" Bruce queried, attention drawn back to the TV.

"Noon, but I need to drive to Brooklyn, so I'll need to leave around eleven," Tony replied.

Bruce nodded slowly, before lying back down on the sofa. Tony knew he'd been working late most nights and it drew the energy out of him for the following mornings. He had to sympathise, Bruce was trying hard to earn money to pay his half of the rent and groceries each fortnight. But Tony was generous and valued Bruce's friendship and company so much he'd offer to pay the rent Bruce owed if he did the cleaning to make up for it. They were like their own little team, it was what they were used to by now. However, most Saturday nights Tony found himself having dinner alone or going to a bar to wallow in his loneliness because Bruce would be out on one of his usual blind dates. Tony didn't have time for a love life, or more so, he just hadn't met the right guy yet. He'd been out on dates, but they always seemed to crash and burn by the end of the night leaving Tony with a heavy heart. His last date was with someone named Steve and they were very different in both personality and with opinions. It clearly wasn't going to work out from the very beginning and it ended with an argument to which Tony hadn't seen Steve since. As far as he knew Steve was back in Brooklyn doing whatever it was he was good at. Tony forgot so much about Steve, not really feeling ashamed about it.

"Coffee Tony," Bruce drawled, his voice slowly flowing back into Tony's hearing.

"Huh? Oh, finally," Tony murmured, grabbing a mug out of the cupboard.

He was turning back to the coffee machine when something moved just slightly into his peripheral vision. It was the eight hairy legs that startled him first, the way they curled over the lip of the mug before the body came into view. Tony let out a high pitched noise of disgust and fear as he slammed the mug down and jumped back, hitting his back against the fridge.

"Tony what the hell!" Bruce exclaimed, standing up from the sofa.

Tony was pointing over at the mug, his skin literally crawling as he tried to shake it off.

"S-spider," he spluttered, a shudder coursing through his body.

Bruce rolled his eyes and sauntered over to the kitchen, grabbing the mug as he opened the kitchen window.

"You really are a drama queen, it's harmless," he mused.

"Bruce, you know I fucking hate spiders!" Tony spat.

"Tony. Language," Bruce lectured.

Tony sighed and slumped against the fridge, resting his hand over his face.

"I'll get a coffee on the way to work," he groaned.

"You should probably get ready now," Bruce answered.

"I'm gonna' do that, seems like the safest option right now. What could go wrong!" he replied.

The brunette disappeared down the hallway, seeking out the laundry to grab his suit. Everything was fine until he looked at his tie that had two giant stains on them, obviously from last night's dinner. Tony whined and dropped down to his knees, fingers grasping the fabric of his sweatpants. He could feel his anxiety washing over him, breaking into a sweat, skin crawling with nerves and panic.

"Breathe Tony, breathe," he whispered.

"Tony I'm going to go sleep for a few ho-" Bruce paused, peering around the corner as he saw Tony shaking his head violently.

"Nothing is going right today. Nothing!" he snapped.

"Calm down, deep breaths," Bruce soothed.

Tony did just that and felt his heart rate slow, felt his muscles start to relax and heard his breathing start to become stable. He glanced up at Bruce who gave him a reassuring smile, throwing a set of keys into Tony's lap.

"I just remembered last night you took your car in for a service, so you can borrow my Jeep. I don't plan on going anywhere for the rest of the morning and some of the afternoon. I put your gear in the back of the Jeep last night," he issued.

"Thanks Bruce, go sleep buddy," Tony mumbled, shakily getting to his feet.

 _God please don't let me crash Bruce's car_  he thought. He turned back to look at his tie after Bruce had left and decided he'd have to leave the tie off the suit. Tony always had a tie and wasn't seen without one for work. But he didn't have time to search for a new one and he still had unruly hair to fix. He pulled his suit off the railings they had for their clothes, before retreating to his bedroom again. Tony grabbed hair gel from the bathroom and slicked some through his hair, brushing down the loose hairs and leaving his hair somewhat neat with a slightly messy look to it. It'd have to do because time was quickly ticking. He shrugged on his white undershirt and then discarded his sweatpants, replacing them with his grey suit pants, before finishing it off with his grey suit jacket.

In the mirror he looked suave and drop dead good looking. But Tony felt out of place and ridiculous in that moment. With a heavy sigh he plucked his sunglasses off his bedside table along with his phone and medication he took for his anxiety. His shoes and socks sat by the open door and he made quick work with getting them on, before he was walking back down the hallway to grab his bag and folders. All of his other equipment was in the Jeep so he didn't need to worry about that,  _bless Bruce and his beautiful, kind heart._  He made for the door, keys in hand, folders under his arm, sunglasses over his eyes and bag slung over his shoulder, he was ready to seize the day.

"You can do this. You're a businessman, you've got class you've got charisma. You can do anything," he told himself.

After closing the apartment door behind him, Tony started to walk to the stairs.

"Nothing is going to stop me n- _ow!_ " he screamed, hunching over as a searing pain shot up his groin.

"Sorry Mr Stark!" a timid voice called.

"I'm okay," Tony rasped, sucking in a breath as he closed his eyes.

 _God damn kids and their slingshots_  he cursed.

"Tony? Oh my god are you alright?" Natasha gasped, rushing over to him.

"Fantastic, just got a ball right in the family jewels," he winced, grabbing the railing beside him.

"I'm really sorry, Natalia, say you're sorry," she scolded.

"I did!" the red head girl replied.

"She did, it's fine, I'm fine," Tony breathed out.

"Christopher, I want you to apologize too for not telling your sister to watch out," Natasha issued.

"Sorry Mr Stark," the brunette boy mumbled.

"Natasha, really it's fine. They're just being kids," Tony interjected.

"I know they are, but they hurt you, I need to discipline them," Natasha huffed.

"Not the first time this has happened to me. We were all kids once," Tony uttered. "I really need to go or I'll be late," he added.

"Alright, are you sure you'll be fine?" Natasha questioned.

"Honestly Nat, if today gets any worse I'm going to lock myself in my room and cry myself to sleep," Tony joked.

Natasha let out a laugh, giving Tony's arm a gentle squeeze before stepping back. She ushered Natalia and Christopher over to her side to let Tony pass, their wide beady eyes watching him intently.

"Really kids, I'll be okay. I'll see you later alright?" he hummed.

"You won't forget our ice cream right?" Natalia asked.

"Natalia," Natasha hissed.

Tony smiled.

"Uncle Tony never forgets ice cream," he chimed.

The kids cheered and ran back inside as Natasha shook her head and gave Tony a wave, before heading back inside her apartment. Tony still kept his grip on the railing as he staggered the rest of the way to the stairs. He groaned at each step he took descending the stairs, trying his best not to look like a complete idiot.

"Tony are you okay?" a deep voice spoke.

 _Oh boy_  Tony thought, turning to see his landlord Thor.

"Just got hit with a ball in the privates," Tony grumbled.

Thor laughed, of course he  _fucking_  laughed, earning a hard stare from Tony.

"Hopefully it hasn't made you start shooting blanks," he retorted.

"Thor, you know me, I don't find women attractive in that way anymore. I'm a man's man, no babies will be made by me," Tony rebuked, before turning and leaving.

He'd honestly had enough of everything going sour at every turn, or with every step or movement Tony made. His knuckles were white as he grasped the keys in his hand, taking the short walk down to Bruce's Jeep. There were no reserved spaces for residents at the apartment block, so whatever spaces were left, they'd have to take it, no matter how far it was from their own apartment. Tony put his bag and folders into the back seat, slamming the door in annoyance, only to move and be pulled back against the door. He looked down and saw the edge of his suit jacket caught in the door, his head falling back against the window.

"I hate Mondays," he grunted.

He opened the door again and pulled the jacket out, grumbling under his breath as the door was forced shut again.  _Please no more bad things_ he pleaded to himself. His body relaxed into the comfortable seats of the Jeep, warm and inviting from the early morning sun. At least the weather was nice, but that didn't help Tony's situation. He put the keys in the ignition and started the engine, jolting in his seat when loud classical music flowed through the car.

"Jesus Christ Bruce!" he shouted, fumbling for the volume button.

Tony's chest was heaving as he grasped his hands on the wheel, knuckles whitening. He rested his forehead on his hands and started hitting his head lightly on the wheel, cursing to himself. The Jeep was humming away quietly as Tony lifted his head and grabbed his seatbelt. He really was just absolutely done now. After putting the Jeep into reverse, Tony stepped on the gas and pulled out the parking spot. A sudden thud and a screech of the tyres echoed in his ears as Tony froze, his eyes wide, seeing a few people on the sidewalk stop and stare.  _Oh no_  he thought.

"Fuck, please don't be someone's pet," he whispered.

The brunette scrambled out of the Jeep, nearly strangling himself on the seatbelt as he rushed around to the back. Right there on the ground, face down and lying awkwardly was a young man, his brunette hair falling over his face.

"Oh fuck. Oh shit, jesus!" Tony yelled, dropping beside the man. "Please don't be dead, please...dammit," he wavered.

He pressed his fingers to the man's pulse point and  _thank the heavens_  he felt a gentle pulse, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Someone call an ambulance!" he called, turning his attention back to the man. "Shit, please say something, or give me a sign that you can hear me," he choked out.

But the man just lay still and Tony covered his eyes as he let out a shaky sigh.  _Why! Why! Why!_ he screamed in his head. A small groan brought his attention back to the man, who had his eyes half lidded, lips parted slightly.

"Oh thank god," Tony sighed, resting his hand on the man's shoulder. "Hey, buddy, can you hear me?" he asked.

"Hurts," the man groaned, before his eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head.

The faint sound of sirens could be heard in the distance as Tony stayed by the man's side. He knew he wasn't having a good day. But this,  _this_  was bad, terrible even and Tony couldn't shake the nauseous feeling from his stomach. Who knows how bad the guy was, because he was falling in and out of consciousness and was complaining of pain.  _You fucking idiot Tony_  he thought. Tony just wanted to crawl into bed and hide now, keeping himself away from the rest of the world.

"Please be okay..." he pleaded.

* * *

For six hours Tony couldn't stop thinking about the man he'd hit in the morning. Even during the meeting he had to try and force himself to pay attention and act natural. The business deal went down well without any faults, and Tony was thanking his lucky stars that nothing went terribly wrong. He'd finished work around 4pm, went and visited Natasha, Clint and the kids until 6pm, before deciding he should go and visit his new acquaintance. The least he could do was go and check up on him and see if he was still breathing. Tony felt like it would be rude and wrong to not make sure he wasn't going to jail for hitting someone with his car, as much of an accident as it was. The police were knocking on his door just before he ventured to the hospital, informing him that the victim wasn't going to press charges. If anything, he was grateful, and now he wanted to thank this young man for letting it slide. He sighed deeply as he pulled into the car park of the hospital, in the comfort of his own car now and not Bruce's Jeep.

He swore to himself that if he ever got in that car again he'd be more careful when driving it. Big, bulky cars were never really Tony's thing anyway, he loved his sleek orange Audi R8 and nothing else. Tony liked to travel in style, cars had to be loud and the engine had to purr nicely. Plus he had his music in there too, mostly consisting of anything between heavy metal to classic rock with a few alternative rock songs thrown in there too. If Tony wasn't comfortable in his car, then he certainly wouldn't be calm. He killed the engine and pulled the keys out, tipping his sunglasses up onto his head, gaze looking out at the sun that was setting over the horizon now. Over to his left was a small bouquet of flowers, nothing fancy, just some simple ones that were in season and ones that the florist highly suggested for someone to get better soon.

And so it be true that Tony actually blushed a little when she asked if it was for someone very special. To which he retold the story and earned a smile from the florist and a praise for staying by the mystery man until help arrived. In truth, Tony would have gone to the hospital that very morning if he didn't have that meeting. He couldn't imagine the uproar that would happen if he called to cancel, giving the excuse that there was a beautiful young man at a hospital getting a visit from him. And Tony did very much think that this man was beautiful, from what he saw anyway. He shook his head and grabbed the flowers as he stepped out of the Audi and shut the door behind him.  _You're in way over your head Tony, he'll probably want to murder you_  he thought, letting out a snort. As he walked to the front entrance of the hospital, he tried to figure out what he was going to say when he met Mr  _'Tony Doesn't Know His Name But He's Beautiful'_  Guy. Upon approaching the desk he could see the nurse eye him up and down and give a small smile when she saw the flowers.

"Hello sir, how can I help you," she greeted.

"Hi, uh-" Tony paused, taking in a deep breath to steady his breathing. "I'm looking for a guy who was admitted this morning. I was going to visit in the morning but I had an important meeting," he added.

"Are you a friend, partner or relative?" she questioned.

"Uh no, not quite," Tony muttered.

"I'm sorry, we only allow friends and such in at this hour," the nurse informed.

Tony felt his heart sink to his stomach, he actually felt genuinely upset about being denied a visit. He really,  _truly_ , did need to see him, right now, or he'd never be back there again.

"Please, I'm begging you. I'm the reason he's in here," he begged. "I can't shake this awful feeling of guilt over the accident. I just want to make sure he's okay," he continued, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

The nurse sighed and pushed the clipboard up onto the desk, sitting a pen on it also.

"Just sign your name here and you can go through, he's in room one hundred and seven, on your left, right at the end," she mused.

"Thank you, thank you  _so_  much," Tony sighed, grabbing the pen and lazily signing his name on the visitor list.

As he turned, he saw the nurse's eyes widen a little when she read his name.

"Mr Stark!" she called.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"I-I'm so sorry if I sounded rude. I know who you are. You saved my husband's business when it was about to go under. The funding has been nothing but valuable to us," she answered.

The brunette grinned.

"Just doing my job. Couldn't let a good business like that go to waste," he mused.

He found himself turning back again, being undisturbed as he slowly wandered down the dull hallway. Lights flickered above him as he walked and it reminded Tony of horror movies he'd watched, a chill going down his spine. The nurse had made the hallway seem long, but it really wasn't. Before Tony knew it, he was standing outside the room his mystery man was resting in. Tony knocked gently on the door, before grabbing the handle as he pushed the door open. The gentle beats from the heart monitor were the first noises to enter Tony's ears, before he heard the soft, pained moan of the brunette on the bed.  _By god_ , he was better looking than when Tony had first gotten a look at him. Then again, Tony didn't want to move the man's hair from his face, or even touch him for that matter, feeling like he was jinxed that morning. The man looked at him with tired eyes that were a striking blue-grey colour, his hair still messy like Tony remembered. His neat stubble defining his cheekbones and strong jaw, plump lips parting to speak.

"Fuck you're gorgeous," Tony whispered. "I mean- _shit_ -hello," he faltered.

"Hi, are you a nurse?" the brunette replied.

Tony quirked an eyebrow and looked down at his jeans, sneakers and shabby Black Sabbath shirt.

"Do I look like I'm dressed to be a nurse?" he retorted.

He earned a small smile from the man, and if it didn't make Tony's heartbeat double over then he was a freaking idiot.

"Not a nurse then. Wouldn't complain if you were," the man hummed, his eyes twinkling a little.

 _Oh Jesus, he's flirting with me already and I don't even know his name_  Tony thought. Then he caught sight of the morphine drip and knew this guy must have been a little jacked up on the stuff.

"Sorry if I say some weird stuff. Morphine makes it hard to finish my blueberries," he murmured. “I mean sentences...sorry,” he added.

Tony straight out laughed and covered his mouth with his hand, shaking his head. He stepped further into the room and shut the door behind him, making his way over to the man. His eyes fell on the clipboard at the end of the bed, catching the guy's name.

"James Barnes huh? Unfortunately I'm the guy who hit you with my car," Tony spoke.

"Yeah, but you can call me Bucky. Everybody does. And I kinda' figured, your voice is familiar," he answered, holding his hand out.

A glimmer of silver drew Tony's attention away from Bucky's face as he looked down at his outstretched hand.  _No way, no fucking way_  he thought. The prosthetic looked awfully familiar and Tony swallowed thickly as he stared back at Bucky.

"Is that...one of my prototypes?" he questioned.

"This? I got this from Stark Industries a few years back. Lost my arm in a work accident, said I'd have to get a prosthetic. But this works much like my other arm. It's great, fantastic even," Bucky explained.

"But I-we discontinued those because they were faulty apparently," Tony uttered, confusion crossing his face.

"Not this one. Haven't had trouble with it since," Bucky mused.

His gaze fell on Tony, taking in his unruly brunette hair, distinct beard, beady brown eyes and pouty parted lips.

"Tony Stark?" he queried, raising an eyebrow.

"Guilty as charged," Tony chuckled.

"Oh wow," Bucky snorted, before bursting into fits of laughter. "I got hit by Tony Stark!" he exclaimed. "This'll be a great story to tell," he added.

Tony felt his cheeks heat up as he took Bucky's hand and shook it, surprised by how well the arm  _did_  work. Bucky's eyes fell on the flowers in Tony's hand, a lopsided grin growing on his face.

"I hope those are for me," he teased.

 _Smooth, so smooth_  Tony thought.

"They're just y'know, a sorry for hitting you with my car,  _well_ , my friend's car. I was having a bad morning and I didn't see you and I'm really sorry," he apologised.

Bucky took the flowers and held them up to his nose, breathing in the sweet smells.

"It's fine m'okay, really. I wasn't lookin' where I was goin' pal. It's nothin' serious. These flowers are nice by the way, bet you didn't think I was a flowers kinda' guy," he drawled, his Brooklyn accent thick like cream.

Tony had to remember how to breath again.

"You're from Brooklyn," he commented, sitting down in the chair by Bucky's bed.

"Yeah, born and raised for a while, went to foster care a few times, all those sad childhood stories," he chuckled. "Met my best friend in high school and then moved into a house with him when we graduated from college," he added.

"So you still live in Brooklyn?" Tony asked.

"Just work in Manhattan, I'm a waiter," the brunette responded, pursing his lips.

"Oh," Tony breathed out.

"Used to be a rock climbing instructor. Was doing one of my regular training exercises with my buddy Sam and a rock gave way and I fell. My arm got crushed under the rock, so goodbye left arm and hello prosthetic. Doesn't feel like I've lost anything," Bucky explained.

"I'm sorry, that must have been terrible," Tony sighed, resting his cheek on his clenched hand.

"For a few months, but it's like nothing ever happened now," Bucky murmured. "I'm guessing you live here in Manhattan in some fancy high rise penthouse with a beautiful woman on either arm?" he taunted.

"Hilarious, but no. Why does everybody think that of me?" Tony laughed. "I just live in an apartment with my friend Bruce and no beautiful women on my arms," he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Beautiful men then?" Bucky quizzed, giving Tony a sly smirk.

"No, no beautiful men either, well, went on dates with a few but they were a flop," he grumbled.

"Mr Lonely then," Bucky snickered.

"I hit you with my car, visit you, bring you flowers, apologize and this is how you treat me? Unbelievable," he scoffed, rolling his eyes jokingly.

"But did I say that I forgive you?" the younger man crowed.

"I was hoping you implied it somewhere," Tony answered.

"I might be willing to forgive you...on one condition," Bucky mumbled, tucking a bit of his hair behind his ear.

"Anything," Tony replied, chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Are you free Thursday night?" Bucky questioned.

"Hmm, Thursday no, I've got babysitting duties for my neighbour Natasha. Why?" Tony queried.

"You can say no but, I think you're a sweet guy, and bringin' me flowers just made my day better. I feel like we've got some things in common, your personality is kinda' like mine. I'd like to get to know my hero a bit better if that's okay?" Bucky whispered, his eyes shy and smile small.

 _This bastard_  Tony thought.

"Your hero?" he snorted, leaning back in the chair.

"You stayed beside me until the paramedics arrived right?" Bucky asked.

"Well yeah, but it was hardly heroic," Tony replied.

"It is to me. So...if you'd like, a date would he nice," the brunette soothed.

"You're very forward aren't you Mr Barnes," Tony crooned.

"I don't know, you tell me Mr Stark," Bucky purred, grinning widely.

"The cheek on you. Alright, I can't say no, not to your pretty face which seems to be your only asset," the older man quipped.

"Hey!" Bucky snapped, frowning playfully.

Tony chuckled and tilted his head, catching Bucky's gaze with his own.

"So how does Friday at seven sound?" he tested, glancing at Bucky with hopeful eyes.

"Friday's perfect," Bucky remarked.

The sudden slam of the door caused both Tony and Bucky to jump, with Bucky wincing in pain as he held his hand on his ribs.

"Buck! Thank god you're okay!" a voice yelled.

All Tony saw was a whirl of blonde hair before he was at Bucky's side, embracing the brunette in a tight hold.

"Okay, ow Steve. Stevie! I'm sore!" Bucky hissed, patting the blonde on the back.

"Crap, sorry, sorry," Steve apologised, pulling back from Bucky.

 _Oh you've got to be kidding me_ Tony thought. He was staring right back at Steve Rogers, the last man he'd gone on a date with that epically failed. Tony would have gotten up right there and then and high tailed it to the door, but that was unfair on Bucky. It was strange how Tony felt quickly connected to Bucky, like they'd get along just fine. He then realised Bucky and Steve were staring right at him and Steve had a look of pure shock and confusion on his face.

"Tony," he greeted.

"Rogers," Tony answered.

"It's been a while," Steve issued.

"Sure has, what's new?" Tony questioned.

"Nothin', you?" Steve mumbled.

"Work, more work, babysitting,  _oh,_  and running over Bucky because my day decided to be unlucky," Tony replied.

"You-" Steve paused. "You ran into him! And you're sitting there like nothing happened!" he accused.

"Steve, calm down. S'nothin' to worry about, just a few bruised ribs, minor internal bleeding, more bruises and a killer headache," Bucky pointed out.

"That's what you call nothin'? You're impossible Buck," the blonde grunted.

Tony tried not to laugh at the banter because of their thick accents.

"I've had worse. My arm remember," the brunette scoffed.

Steve tensed and shook his head as he looked down at the ground.

"Don't bring that up, you know I hate talkin' about it," he growled.

"It was a few years ago now Steve! Move on!" Bucky snapped.

"Are you two going to continue squabbling like a married couple? Because if you are I'll just leave," Tony interjected, rising from his seat.

"No Tony, stay," Bucky pleaded, reaching forward.

He winced again and Tony pushed Bucky back, resting him against his pillows.

"Don't move, alright, you'll only make the pain worse," he warned.

"Yeah s'good idea," the younger man groaned, resting his head on the pillows and looking up at the ceiling.

Steve laughed suddenly, drawing Tony and Bucky's attention to him as the blonde sat on the end of Bucky's bed.

"Tony got you flowers? Never got me flowers," Steve responded.

"Why would he give  _you_  flowers," Bucky snickered.

Tony looked away with an embarrassed look, before looking back to Bucky, then to Steve. This was the worst situation he'd been in, in his life. He'd just taken up Bucky's offer of a date and in comes Steve to rain on his parade.

"Remember how I told you about this date a few months ago I went on with a guy and said we didn't connect?" Steve grilled.

"Yeah, the oldish man with an ego so big it could fill America twice," Bucky cackled.

"I did not say that," the blonde gasped.

Tony's mouth lay agape as he glared daggers at Steve, fingers clenching into the leather of the chair.

"Was somethin' like that," Bucky issued.

"No, I said he was completely different to me. And that we'd obviously just clash all the time," Steve complained.

"Aw, what a shame, guess it's my turn," the brunette mocked.

"I'm right here!" Tony squawked.

"I know ya' are sexy," Bucky drawled, winking at Tony.

The brunette opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again as his face flushed crimson red.  _God damn him and his stupid gorgeous smile and pretty eyes, shit_  he thought. It had to be getting late now, Bruce would be home very soon and Monday was Tony's cooking night.

"I should be going," he spoke, standing from the chair and offering it to Steve.

"But you just got here," Bucky whined.

"That morphine has turned you into a child Mr Barnes, be thankful I'm not a nurse, I'd be making you feel much more pain than calm," Tony bit back.

Bucky frowned.

"Ouch, I don't ever want you to be a nurse," he huffed.

Tony grinned as he gave Bucky's arm a gentle squeeze and stood back.

"See you Friday?" he chimed.

"Yeah, see you Friday, with bells on, maybe some frills. Leather maybe," Bucky croaked, coughing slightly as he moaned at his sore ribs.

"I'll be glad when you're off the morphine," Tony chided.

He left the room without another word, leaving Bucky and Steve in total silence. Steve only stared at his best friend with amusement elbow resting on his knee, hand up at his face. Bucky knew it was going to be a long night, especially if he had to retell his story to Steve. At least Friday looked promising...he hoped.

* * *

**Friday**

**Brooklyn, NY**

The house Bucky shared with Steve absolutely blew Tony away. It was situated in the Oceanside neighbourhood of Brighton Beach, and Tony knew Coney Island wasn't too far from there. He went there twice as a kid but hadn't been back there since then. When he pulled up to the curb outside the house, he had to sit and admire it for a moment. Well, it looked more like a tall building full of condos, but Tony was still blown away. He looked into his front view mirror and looked over himself for about the fifth time that night, dressed smartly in a navy blue button up and black slacks. Tony took a deep breath and opened his door, stepping out into the cold night with the sea breeze blowing his hair to one side. He wandered around to the passenger side and picked up the flowers and chocolates he bought for Bucky. Natasha had been poking her nose into his business as soon as she saw the flowers and chocolates when he was making his way to his car to drive to Brooklyn.

_"I thought you weren't much of a flower and chocolate giver after your other bad dates?"_

_"Changed my mind, this one feels different,"_

Tony smirked at the memory of a few hours ago, striding up the stairs to the main doors of the building. The nerves started to wilt away slowly, yet still lingered somewhere deep in his bones. He was taking Steve's best friend out on a date and knew he couldn't screw this up because he would never hear the end of it. Steve passed off as shy, but Tony knew he would knock someone out in seconds if he had an excuse to. Shuddering slightly at the thought, Tony pressed the button under the name  _'Rogers-Barnes'_  when he got inside the main lobby.

"Rogers-Barnes residence," a tired voice answered.

 _Here goes nothing_  Tony thought.

"Hey Steve, it's Tony, I'm here to get Bucky," he replied.

"Sure, come on up, I'll tell him you're here," Steve murmured, followed by a small yawn.

The lobby fell silent again as Tony walked over to the elevator and pressed the button for floor eleven. He tapped his fingers on the elevator wall, humming to a song to calm the nerves that seemed to fire up again. He'd had the night all planned out, but he probably should have asked Bucky first, because he might want to do something different. Tony felt like he may have stuffed up already, either that or he was just being his pessimistic self. When the elevator stopped on the eleventh floor, Tony could hear laughter from behind the door ahead of him. The floors were fairly large, considering that they only had one condo on each level. Tony could feel that abnormal beat of his heart upon hearing that laugh, because he knew that was Bucky's and it was the most beautiful sound. It sounded like Steve and Bucky were watching TV and Tony could hear the distinct theme song of  _Friends_  muffled by the door.

"You better record the next one for me Steve!" Bucky called.

Tony approached the door and knocked twice, hearing hushed whispers and then footsteps on wooden floorboards. When the door opened, he felt like someone had just run along and punched the very last breath out of him. Bucky was leaning against the door, smile on his face, looking breathtaking in a grey button up, black tie and black slacks.

"Wow," Tony breathed out.

Bucky grinned.

"Stevie, we've lost him already!" he exclaimed.

The faint sound of a laugh from the kitchen echoed down the hall.

"I um-you...look- _jesus_ -" Tony paused, swallowing back the nervousness. "You look amazing," he whispered.

"Aw, shucks, you don't look so bad yourself doll," Bucky hummed, drawing his bottom lip in with his teeth and giving it a gentle bite.

 _I'm never going to make it through tonight with his flirting_  Tony thought.

"So, I thought I'd step the flowers up a notch since it's a date," he mused, presenting the bouquet to the brunette.

Bucky smiled and took them in his hands, letting out a small, surprised gasp.

"Roses? Seriously! Tony-" he stopped, smelling the dark red roses in his hands. "These are beautiful," he breathed out, his cheeks now a light shade of pink.

 _Success!_  Tony cheered in his head.

"And I got you chocolates too, I don't know if you're a sweets kinda' guy," he replied, holding out the chocolates too.

"I have a sweet tooth, so yeah, these will get eaten," Bucky chuckled, taking the chocolates gratefully. "Gosh, you're so sweet," he added.

Bucky put the roses and chocolates to the side as he stepped forward and hugged Tony. The brunette's eyes widened for a moment, before he put his arms around Bucky also. He could smell his cologne and  _oh man_  was it to die for. This was their first touch, minus that hand shake at the hospital, this was,  _technically_ , their first touch that overstepped the line of acquaintance and friend. Tony's heart drummed in his chest so loud he could hear it in his ears. When Bucky pulled away he gently cupped Tony's jaw and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"I-yo-you're welcome," Tony faltered, tripping over his own words.

The younger man was laughing at him again and Tony felt like an A class idiot. He'd never been this nervous, never with any date he'd been on.  _Why did Bucky seem to be completely different?_

"I'm going to put these in water then we can go, come in for a minute," Bucky offered.

Tony followed him inside, leaving the door open as he walked down the hallway with Bucky.  _Of course,_  his gaze would fall down to Bucky's ass in those slacks and he found himself blushing again, shaking his head violently.  _Stop it Tony_  he thought.

"Hey Tony," Steve greeted, looking over his shoulder while cooking at the stove.

"Hey Steve," Tony replied.

Bucky was so busy with getting the roses into the water that Tony decided to glance around the room. It was modern with a bit of a rustic feel thrown in, it had to be expensive. He looked down a small hallway and saw what looked like rooms, assuming the one at the end had to be Bucky's. Again, Tony had to look away before he started thinking of inappropriate things on his  _first_  damn date with Bucky.

"Nice place," he commented.

"Thanks, Stevie pays most of the bills. He's a freelance artist now and a lot of collectors want to buy his works and a lot of art galleries want to pay him to display the works too. So, he brings in the most income, mines average at most. But I cook most nights and bake things for Stevie so, he doesn't mind payin'," Bucky explained.

"Would do anything for ya' pal," Steve interjected.

"See, he's a sweetheart," Bucky snorted, picking up the jar with the roses. "I'll just go put these in my room," he added.

Once Bucky was out of earshot, Tony could feel Steve's eyes on him and it made his skin prickle with anxiety. He looked over at Steve who was still stirring the food in the frying pan, his gaze locked on his own.

"Do I need to warn you about not screwing this up or will you be good?" the blonde questioned.

"I think I'll be fine," Tony answered.

"Good, because Bucky's a sweet guy, hates getting his heart broken. Y'know, he hasn't had a date in a year because the last guy took one look at his arm and freaked out. Bucky's been self conscious about it ever since, he just hides it well. When he's home here with me it breaks his heart to know that people look at him differently, as if he isn't human. You can imagine how happy he was when you agreed to take him on a date. I don't want to have him come home again in tears because some wise guy thinks it's okay to take him out for a date, pretend to be interested and then dump him like a rag doll," Steve grunted.

"The arm he has is a prototype from Stark Industries, why would that be a problem to me? And I am interested alright? I get it, how we met was weird, I hit him with my car, it was an accident. But I'm glad I paid him a visit because I'd probably never see him again and regret it. I'll let him determine whether he sees something after this, then we'll go from there. Whatever this grudge is that you have with me since our date was a complete failure, it stops, now," Tony spat.

"That's not what I was referring to," Steve rebuked.

"Steve just stop. This conversation is over. If you can't trust a man enough to treat your best friend with the respect he needs then you're going to make Bucky very,  _very_  miserable. You're like a mother hen, Bucky's a big boy, he can make his own choices," Tony muttered.

Steve blinked, before looking away and letting out a sigh.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just tired today, and I'm tired of seeing people hurt Bucky. Just want the best for him. He's had it tough and it breaks my heart to see his love life in shambles," he replied.

"Then let  _me_  fix it. Give me a chance with him," Tony pleaded.

"I trust you," Steve sighed. "But if you do hurt him I will kick your ass six ways from Sunday, got it?" he warned.

Tony only nodded curtly.

"Alright, I'm ready to go- _woah,_  I just stepped into a big bubble of tension. Are you two okay?" Bucky asked.

"Fine Buck, just talking. Have fun, I won't be here when you get home, gonna' go see Sam, Scott, Maria, Peggy, Phil and Nick, so I'll probably just crash there," Steve mused.

"Okay Stevie. Just text me and let me know you got there safely," Bucky answered.

"Will do pal," Steve hummed.

Bucky turned his attention to Tony and smiled, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Ready?" he questioned.

"As I'll ever be," Tony replied, stepping forward as he rested his hand on Bucky's lower back.

As they wandered back down the hallway, Tony's hand slipped around to Bucky's waist, his mouth twitching at the corner when he saw Bucky's cheeks flush.

"By the way I take back the comment about you looking amazing, you look absolutely sensational," he complimented.

"Oh," Bucky gasped, covering his mouth with his hand as he chuckled. "Thank you," he added.

Tony closed the door behind them while Bucky pressed the button for the elevator, the doors opening immediately.

"Quiet on a Friday," he commented, stepping into the elevator.

"Everyone usually goes out or stays at home. The people downstairs always have a party on Friday. The people above us watch a sports game so Steve and I can hear them shouting," Bucky mused.

"You don't go out on Fridays?" Tony asked.

"Not really. Usually it's just Steve and I. We watch movies, or we join the neighbours upstairs for the game. So I've never been out in a while," Bucky murmured.

"Steve w-was telling me you uh...haven't been on a date in a year," the older man stammered.

Bucky nodded and shrugged.

"Can't please everybody," he chuckled softly, biting on his lip.

Tony's heart sunk as he looked down at Bucky's metal hand that was clenching into a fist every now and again. He slid his hand down and laced his fingers with Bucky's, startling the brunette. Bucky looked down at their entwined fingers and a flicker of a smile showed on his face.

"You don't have to worry about this around me," Tony soothed.

"I wasn't-I-" Bucky paused. "It's been a while. The last guy really beat me down in wantin' to date people. Said no one dates freaks, y'know, all that bullshit," he scoffed.

"Seriously? Sweetheart if you're a freak then so am I," Tony laughed, squeezing Bucky's hand.

"Shut up, you're gorgeous," Bucky hummed, leaning into Tony's side.

"Talk about yourself too much," Tony crooned, leaning against Bucky also.

"Hey! Take a compliment you punk," Bucky groaned.

The elevator came to a stop as the pair stepped out and started to walk to the main doors. Tony's nerves had washed away now, his confidence and eagerness starting to shine through. It felt natural just to be that close to Bucky, to hold his hand and let him know that he had nothing to worry about. He walked Bucky over to the Audi and opened the door for him, gesturing with his hand for Bucky to get in.

"Wow, nice car!" he chimed, smiling widely.

"This is my baby, runs like a dream," Tony chided.

Bucky just gave him a smile, before Tony closed the door and jogged around to the driver's side. When he got inside he looked over at Bucky who was still admiring the car, running his fingers over the leather on the seat. Tony had to hold back a small laugh as he started the car and pulled out onto the road.

"So I thought we'd go to dinner first," he informed.

"Yeah?" Bucky responded, turning his attention to Tony.

"Then I thought we'd go see a movie, and then maybe...if you're up for it, I drop my car back off at your place and we walk along to Coney Island," he continued.

"No way! I haven't been to Coney Island since Steve started his artist job. He and I used to go quite a lot," Bucky mumbled.

"You live three minutes away and you haven't been in a long time!" Tony exclaimed.

"No one to go with," the younger man sighed.

"Well you can go with me. I went there twice as a kid and I want to see if I still get the same energy out of it as I did when I was a kid," Tony hummed.

"Fine by me, beats goin' alone," Bucky crowed.

"The restaurant isn't far. I hope you like Eastern European food. I'm sure they'll have something simple even if you don't like it," Tony jeered.

"I do, I love it in fact," Bucky replied.

Tony grinned.

"I suppose I guessed well then!" he cheered.

"Yeah, you did," the brunette snorted, brushing his metal thumb over Tony's knuckles absently.

They stole a glance at each other, their smiles wide and cheery as Tony looked back to the road. He held his hand out to Bucky, feeling the weight of the brunette's hand on his soon after. His mouth curved up at the corner, thumb running over Bucky's fingers. It was sad that Bucky couldn't feel anything with that hand, but Tony wasn't complaining, he never would. As far as he was concerned, Bucky was a man with a kind heart and the chemistry he felt with him immediately was beyond what he'd felt with someone else.

"So tell me, have you and Steve travelled anywhere?" he questioned.

"We went to Russia, actually that was two years ago today," Bucky answered.

"Oh? How was it?" Tony quizzed.

"It was great. The places we went to were beautiful. Picked up on some of the local lingo," Bucky issued.

"Did you now?" Tony drawled.

"Да, красивый- _Yes, handsome,_ " Bucky boasted, raising an eyebrow as he smiled coyly at Tony. "What about you?" he added.

"Impressive. And I learnt a little Spanish when I went to Spain with my parents once as a kid," Tony mumbled.

"Do you remember anything?" Bucky asked.

"Si. Me encanta tu ojos- _Yes. I really like your eyes,_ " Tony hummed.

Bucky felt his cheeks heat up, his gaze falling back to the front window, heart thumping softly in his chest. Tony was different than he had expected, kind, funny and caring. They stood out the most in him and Bucky couldn't seem to shake the feeling of wanting to know Tony more and more. He looked out of the side window and stared at the star filled sky, the moon shining off the buildings. The car slowed and Bucky looked up to see a quiet little restaurant sitting on the corner of the street. It looked perfect, romantic even, Tony was ticking all the boxes and winning him over already. Tony's hand had slipped from his grasp and he was outside of the Audi in seconds, making his way around to Bucky.  _Such a freaking gentleman_  he thought. The door opened and Tony was holding his hand out to him, a gentle smile on his face.

"Why thank you kind sir," Bucky teased, with a half-assed British accent.

"That was... _awful_ ," Tony quipped.

"Well at least you tell the truth," Bucky laughed.

"I don't like to lie to people," Tony replied.

His arm rested around Bucky's waist as he locked the Audi, squeezing Bucky's hip comfortingly. Bucky smiled as they started to walk to the restaurant, greeted by the warmth from inside the building, considering it was a little chilly that night. Tony spoke to the waiter at the front entrance about their reservation while Bucky had a good, long look at the place. The lights were dim over each table, a candle burning in a glass jar in the middle, deep red table cloths covering each table too. Acoustic music circulated through the place, with the bar sitting up the back and a small lounge area perhaps just for anyone to relax.

Bucky turned back to look at Tony, his eyes travelling up and down the light shining on the brunette's face. He couldn't believe his luck coming across Tony when he did. Even though it wasn't exactly a great way to meet, but at least he got the chance to meet Tony. Now here he was on a Friday night, on a date, something he hadn't done for a while. They'd been sending texts over the days until Friday night and some of the texts were flirtatious left, right and centre. Steve would always be asking him what he was smirking at, Bucky didn't even know he had been smirking.  _But honestly, how could he not?_ Tony was on absolute fire when he was in a good mood, his texts sent Bucky's mind reeling half of the time.

"Hey, Bucky, you with me?" Tony spoke, waving his hand in front of Bucky's face.

"What? I mean-yes, sorry," Bucky replied, cheeks going a light shade of pink.

"What were you thinking about?" the older man questioned, smirking widely as his arm was back around Bucky, guiding him to the table.

"Nothin’, absolutely nothin’," Bucky breathed out.

"Weren't we discussing lying just before?" Tony hummed, letting Bucky sit in the booth first.

"I was-" Bucky paused. "Thinking about our text messages before now that's all," he continued. "Was nice," he added, biting his lip nervously.

"Oh," Tony whispered. "Did you like those texts?" he asked, joining Bucky in the booth now as they sat side by side.

"You're an absolute flirt. I've never seen anyone flirt as good as you," the younger man murmured.

"It's because I'm the king," Tony retorted.

Bucky rolled his eyes and shook his head with a smile.

"You're unbelievable," he sighed.

"Unbelievably good looking," Tony jested.

"Stop it!" Bucky cackled, lightly slapping Tony on the shoulder.

Tony grinned wickedly and took Bucky's hand in his own, pressing featherlight kisses to his knuckles. Bucky's heart skipped a few beats as he looked back at Tony, seeing the glint in his eyes and the caring smile he gave him. He hadn't been treated to a dinner at a restaurant before, it was new and alien to him. But Bucky knew he would enjoy it, the company especially. Tony dropped his hand and opened up the menu on the table, sitting it between them so Bucky could read it too.

"Listen, get whatever you want alright? Dinner is on me," he mused.

"Tony I can't po-" Bucky stopped, feeling Tony's finger pressed against his lips.

"Anything you want," Tony hushed.

"At least let me get the drinks," Bucky offered.

"Fine, I'll just have a small scotch, I'm driving remember," Tony replied.

"Sure thing doll," the brunette hummed.

"You keep calling me that," Tony grumbled.

"I like it, get used to it," Bucky retorted, smirking smugly and standing from the seat.

Tony grabbed his hand quickly, staring up at him with another beaming smile, eyes fixed on Bucky's.

"You look really beautiful tonight. I can still see that doubt in your eyes. Trust me, you're near perfect," the brunette crooned.

Bucky's lips parted as he stared back at Tony, his eyes widening a fraction.  _Fuck, he's going to be the end of me_  he thought.

"What else do I say besides thank you?" he asked.

"Thank you is fine," Tony chuckled.

"I'll go get these drinks," Bucky uttered, trying to hide the rising blush on his cheeks.

Tony nodded and let go of Bucky's hand, watching him go as he turned back to look at the menu again. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he sighed deeply, fishing it out of his pocket quickly. He was surprised to see Steve's number on the screen, brow creasing as he opened the message.

**_"Remember what I said. You better be treating him like a damn prince right now." - Steve_ **

_God he never gives up_  Tony thought. He typed in a quick reply, before putting his phone away, leaning back against the booth, fingers tapping nervously on the table. If he didn't have Steve breathing down his neck it would be so much easier for him to relax. Yet it seemed whenever Bucky was in his presence he would relax completely. Tony peered over the booth to look at Bucky who was leaning against the bar, laughing with the bartender. His head was thrown back and Tony had to swallow back the lump growing in his throat.  _You can't stuff this up, you just can't_  he thought.

"Get it together Tony, you're a Stark, you can do this," he scolded.

It felt like this was his last chance at something good, something worthwhile. Tony was going to give it his all.

* * *

Darkness was all Bucky could see, the cold air sending shivers up his spine. The only sounds clear enough to him were his heavy, laboured breaths and shoes scuffing on concrete. He saw small flickers of light now and again when he turned corners or weaved through tight passages. But as far as that goes, he felt like he was going in circles.

"Tony?" he called. "Seriously this isn't funny," he added.

There was a low snarl and Bucky flinched, turning his body around to face in the direction of the noise. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, his fingers clutching his arms. When he took two steps back, he bumped into something, body tensing. Turning slowly, Bucky looked up and saw a disfigured face, watching the eyes move and the mouth open. Bucky let out an almighty scream when the figure screamed back at him, staggering back, only to trip over his own feet. A loud laugh echoed down a hallway on his left, before footsteps were heard, followed by a hand resting on his arm. He knew then it was Tony, still snickering away as he helped Bucky up.

"That one got you good," Tony chuckled.

"I am never goin' into haunted houses with you again," Bucky wavered, hands still trembling a little.

"Aw come on, you've been so jumpy since the start," Tony chided.

"It's scary! Things jump out at you and they're gross," Bucky complained.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I won't ever leave your side again," Tony soothed.

Bucky could still tell he had a smug grin on his face.

"Are we almost at the exit?" he asked.

"I think so," Tony answered.

They turned down another hallway and Bucky still kept looking around in the dim light that they now had. They'd been to the movie that Tony organised, which was seemingly boring. Now they were at Coney Island trying out a temporary haunted house that was there. They'd met a few people along the way, but himself and Tony and spent a while in there, so everyone else was most likely gone. Tony kept hiding from Bucky now and again to scare him, while Tony hadn't even screamed nor jumped once. Bucky sighed and slid his hand down to Tony's, squeezing it tight for comfort as they ventured on. They were just turning a corner when a body hanging on a noose dropped down from the ceiling, making Bucky yelp like a dog and cower into Tony.

"It's okay pumpkin, I've got you," he whispered, wrapping his arms around Bucky.

"I hate you," Bucky grumbled. "You're evil," he added.

"I'm hurt," Tony gasped.

"How can you not be jumping at this stuff? That's unfair!" Bucky protested.

Tony shrugged and smiled.

"I dunno' guess I'm just not a scared kitten like you," he taunted.

"Oh shut up," the brunette scoffed, shoving Tony away.

He felt Tony walk up beside him and nudge his shoulder gently, making him crack a smile as they walked into another room.

"I'm sorry the movie was boring," he muttered.

"It's okay, the tickets were cheap, no big deal," Bucky chimed.

"Does this make up for it?" Tony questioned.

"No! Because you've had me on my toes for the past half an hour!" Bucky exclaimed.

"Not all the time, we went on a few fun rides," Tony hummed.

"Still don't like you," Bucky grunted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Tony scoffed and frowned playfully at Bucky, making the younger man smile yet again. As they walked by a row of doors, Bucky grew tense again when he heard sounds behind them. Out of nowhere, one of the doors swung open, revealing a pack of zombies that looked extremely life like. They grabbed at Tony when he didn't expect it, drawing a scream out of him as Bucky started howling with laughter.

"Fucking hell," Tony hissed, stepping back from the door.

Bucky was still laughing as he wrapped his arms around Tony from behind and squeezed him tight.

"That was the best, finally we got somethin' out of you," he snickered.

"Not funny," Tony groaned.

"Oh yes it is," Bucky sang, taking Tony's hands and guiding him to what looked like the exit.

They stepped out into the night, hearing people screaming on rides and smelling the food around the area.

"Did you have fun boys?" the ride attendant asked.

"Sure did, he screamed more than I did," Tony answered.

"Tony!" Bucky whined.

"Sorry, sorry," Tony apologized, bringing Bucky close to his side. "You ready to go home?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's late," Bucky murmured, letting out a small yawn.

Tony nodded as they made for the exit that lead out to the boardwalk. Bucky was looking out at the beach, the moon shining down on the water and the stars scattered across the sky. Tony's hand ran gently up and down his side, eyes fixed on Bucky.

"Sky looks wonderful tonight," he commented.

"It does. I usually sit on the balcony and look at it for hours," Bucky replied.

"Y'know your eyes look like stars. They have been all night," he added.

Bucky turned his head and looked at Tony who was smiling at him still, eyes locked on each other's.

"'Cause I was with you," he whispered.

"Aw jeez Barnes, aren't you adorable," Tony cooed.

The brunette chuckled and looked back out at the beach, bringing his hands up to rub at his arms that were starting to get cold.

"Cold?" Tony queried.

"A little," Bucky muttered.

Tony let go of Bucky and shrugged off his jacket he got out of the backseat when they left the Audi outside Bucky's place. He put it over Bucky's shoulders, earning him a thankful smile from Bucky.

"Thank you," he hummed.

"No problem," Tony soothed, lacing his fingers with Bucky's. "Hey hold on a minute," he added, letting go of Bucky's hand as he jogged over to a woman sitting on the boardwalk with a small portable shop set up.

Bucky turned away and looked up at the sky, closing his eyes and only letting the sounds of the ocean in his ears. He pulled Tony's jacket closer and breathed in the smell of him, smiling softly, his eyes opening only slightly. A light tap on his shoulder drew his attention away from the sky as he stared at Tony. The brunette held up a small plush toy of a tiger, his mouth quirked up at the corner.

"For you," he said, holding it out further.

"Tony..." Bucky whispered, taking the plush animal in his hands.

"Couldn't help but notice your little collection of animals on your bed while I waited for you," Tony snorted.

A blush spread across Bucky's face as he hid his face behind the tiger and shook his head.

"Should have known," he huffed.

"I think it's cute," Tony purred, taking Bucky's hand as they started walking again.

The silence drew out for a long time and Bucky sighed, seeing his house starting to come into view as they got closer and closer.

"I had fun tonight," he spoke. "Really, a lot of fun. More than I've ever had. No one has made me laugh or smile so much in a long time. You really know how to treat a guy well Tony," he continued, seeing Tony shrug with a small grin. "I didn't expect it to be as good as this, you completely blew me away. Never felt so relaxed around anyone like this either. It's like we've known each other for a while but we only met just four days ago. It's been great," he added.

"Good, I wanted you to have fun. I don't think I've had this much fun either to be honest," Tony admitted.

Bucky smiled and bit his lip for about the twentieth time that night, grasping Tony's hand a little tighter. He didn't know how Tony was feeling at the end of all this, unsure as to what would be happening next.  _Would they go on another date again?_ His heart sunk a little at the thought of this just being a one time thing, maybe Tony didn't enjoy himself as much as he let on. Bucky shook away the negativity and looked straight ahead, turning to cross the road to his place.

"I really liked dinner as well, that was pretty amazing. I've never had such good food like that before," he issued.

"It's my favourite place to go when I'm not in Manhattan," Tony pointed out.

"Maybe you need to take more visits out here," Bucky commented, before cursing himself for saying it out loud.

Tony let out a short laugh that sounded almost anxious, before looking down at the ground. The pair wandered up the steps to the building, Bucky's hand only gripping Tony's tighter at each step they took. He'd be an idiot to say he didn't want Tony to hang around for a few more hours. But it was a bit of a long drive back to Manhattan and Bucky didn't want to keep Tony back from getting home. They stopped outside the main doors as Bucky faced Tony, his heart doing flips all over again every time he looked at the brunette.

"Thanks for bringin' me home, Steve will be thankful," Bucky joked.

"He better be," Tony laughed.

More silence enveloped them as Bucky started to trail his hand up Tony's arm. Tony watched him, until Bucky dropped both hands to Tony's waist, pulling him a little closer. He rested his forehead on Tony's and let out a hushed breath, swallowing thickly as he tried to find the words to speak.

"Я хочу поцеловать тебя," he breathed out, breath ghosting over Tony's lips.

"Sorry what was that?" Tony responded.

"I want to kiss you," Bucky replied, voice a little heavy and shaky.

Tony felt the anxiety ripple through him and he could feel his heart starting to pound erratically.  _Slow it down Tony_ he thought. He was panicking about what Steve had been saying. If he kissed Bucky now, then left and never heard from him again then he'd feel like an asshole for getting Bucky's hopes up. Tony couldn't do that to anybody, he didn't want to do that to Bucky. The man standing before him was too kind, too sensitive to have this happen to him anymore. There was that connection, but Tony just had fear coursing right through his blood and didn't want to be a let down.

"I'm one of those people who doesn't exactly kiss on the first date," he confessed.

"Oh," Bucky answered, hands loosening on Tony's waist.

"I'd like to save it, if that's okay," he offered.

"Yeah I um-that-it's okay," Bucky faltered.

They embraced warmly, Bucky's face nestled into the crook of Tony's neck, bodies swaying only slightly. He felt an emptiness in his chest at what felt like rejection to him. When they pulled away, Tony ran his thumb over Bucky's cheek, before pressing a soft kiss to the brunette's cheek.

"I'll call you, or text you," he whispered.

"Yeah," Bucky sighed. "Goodnight Tony," he added.

"Goodnight Bucky," Tony soothed, smiling a little.

Bucky watched Tony walk away and get into his car, before he disappeared inside the lobby. His eyes started to sting as he walked to the elevator and got inside as a few people exited from it. He pressed the button for floor eleven and fell against the wall. His eyes fell closed as he sniffed and bit down hard on his lip, his throat tightening as he tried to swallow back tears. That was the last he was going to see of Tony, he just knew it, he could feel it lingering there. Tony made him feel different than what any other man had in the past. And  _deep_  down Bucky felt like maybe he'd said or done something that put Tony off him. Bucky pulled out his phone and sent a text to Steve, fingers shaking as he typed it.

**_"I've fucked up Steve. He doesn't want to see me again. I told him I wanted to kiss him and he said he wasn't a kiss on the first date kind of guy." - Bucky_ **

He got a reply almost immediately.

**_"That's bullshit, he kissed me on our first date before we ended up arguing. Where are you? Do I need to come and get you? Are you okay?" - Steve_ **

Bucky let out a choked laugh at Steve's panicking.

**_"I'm fine Stevie. Don't worry about coming home, I'm home already, Tony walked me home. I'll be okay, I'm just gonna' have a shower, get into bed and watch some TV. Enjoy yourself." - Bucky_ **

**_"Alright pal, see you in the morning." - Steve_ **

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and held his new plush toy against his chest, feeling the elevator shudder to a halt. Bucky walked out and fished his keys out, slipping the key in the lock with a trembling hand and pushing it open. As soon as he was in the warmth of the condo, he broke down into tears. They rolled down his cheeks as he sat his keys in the bowl by the door and slipped Tony's jacket off his shoulders. He'd have to get that back to him somehow. Bucky placed the tiger down on the kitchen counter and ran his hands down his face, wiping away tears. He choked them back, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Get it together Bucky, it was one date," he hissed.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door and Bucky looked up the hallway, letting out a deep sigh. _I swear if this is anyone trying to sell something I'll chew em' out_  he thought. He steadied his breathing and tried to keep the tears at bay, making his way back down the hallway. Bucky pulled down the handle and opened the door, his breath suddenly hitching in his throat. Tony stood before him, panting heavily as if he'd just ran up the stairs to get to the floor.

"I-" he panted. "I forgot something," he added.

"Your jacket," Bucky mumbled, shoulders sagging slightly.

Tony shook his head.

"No," he whispered.

He took a step forward, cupped Bucky's face in his hands and kissed him. Bucky's eyes were wide like saucers, before they fell closed, his hands falling to Tony's lower back. Tony tilted Bucky's head and kissed him deeper, hands sliding to the nape of the brunette's neck. Bucky's grip tightened on Tony's shirt, pulling their bodies closer together, sparks surging through his body. When they pulled apart, Bucky was breathless, pressing his lips against Tony's again with a light  _'smack'_  before resting his forehead on Tony's. He parted his lips to speak, but couldn't find the words, a stray tear finding its way down his cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Tony asked, bringing his hands back to caress Bucky's cheeks.

"Thought you were gone, that you weren't gonna' come back. Thought I might have fucked up what we had," Bucky sighed.

"What? No.  _Hell no_  Bucky. It was me, all me. I was- _fuck_ -I was scared. Scared I might screw it up with you and I didn't want to kiss you in case I never came back for another date with you. It was just my stupid brain. I'm sorry. I came back because I wanted you to know that I want to go on another date with you. I think you're fantastic and you're the first guy I've felt anything with. Y'know how you feel a connection instantly with someone and it feels like you've known them forever and you just have to have them around? That's what it felt like with you. I want  _you_  Bucky. I know it might seem so sudden but things are different for everybody. And I mean it," Tony exhaled, opening his eyes to look at Bucky.

Bucky let out a shaky laugh and cupped Tony's face in his hands then.

"I wanna' go on another date too. I wanna' give us a chance," he replied.

"Sunday, I'll come back here, we can go to the beach, have a picnic," Tony mused.

"Took the words right outta' my mouth," Bucky chuckled.

He rested his hand on Tony's chest and left the other on the nape of his neck, a small grin curving at the corner of his mouth. His mouth was right against Tony's ear, sending a shiver up the brunette's spine in seconds.

"Would you like to come inside, darlin'?" Bucky offered, sliding his hand down Tony's torso. "Could let you try some cake I made. I don't have rules for the bedroom on first dates. Was gonna' have a shower then lay in bed and watch TV...if you're-" he paused, pressing a kiss under Tony's ear as his hand slipped past the waistband of Tony's slacks, pushing his hips forward so his hand applied pressure to Tony's groin. "Up for it," he purred.

Tony let slip a helpless moan, his eyes glazing over with lust, biting down on his lip.

"Yes,  _god_  yes," he wavered.

Bucky smiled and pulled Tony into the condo by his belt, locking their lips together again, fingers tangling into Tony's hair.

"Bedroom, I'll bring the cake," he gasped, feeling Tony's teeth nip at his neck.

All he got in return was a throaty growl from Tony as he disappeared to Bucky's room, working on the buttons of his shirt. Bucky went into the kitchen, biting down on his tongue as he grinned, opening up the fridge door. His phone chimed and he plucked it from his pocket, seeing another message from Steve.

**_"I'm gonna' come home, I hate leaving you there alone." - Steve_ **

**_"Don't bother. Unless you want to come home to Tony and I fonduing very loudly and filthily. He came back." - Bucky_ **

He knew Steve would be making a face reading that, but at least for his sake he used their clean word. As he walked down the hallway with the cake and two spoons, he could hear his phone chiming every ten seconds, knowing Steve would probably be sending him messages asking for an explanation. But Bucky didn't have time for that. There was unfinished business he had to take care of first.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Will there be a sequel?
> 
> Possibly.
> 
> Let me know what you think, yay or nay?
> 
> Canon MCU Tony and Bucky now have an ask blog! [asktonyandbucky](http://asktonyandbucky.tumblr.com/)


End file.
